Undine - George Upton

What Further Befell on the Wedding Evening

All through the ceremony Undine had been perfectly quiet, but now her wild spirits seemed to
overflow, and she became more capricious and freakish than ever, tormenting her husband,
her foster-parents, and even the venerable priest with all sorts of elfish pranks; but
whenever the old woman was about to reprove her, a few serious words from Huldbrand
referring significantly to Undine as his wife would silence her. In reality the knight
himself was little pleased with his bride's childish behavior, but nothing could stop her.
Whenever she noticed his disapproval, as sometimes happened, she would become subdued for
the moment, and seating herself beside him, would avert his displeasure with smiles and
caresses. But the next moment she would break out again with some mad prank and be wilder
than ever. At length the priest said to her, in a serious but kindly way, "My dear child,
one cannot but be charmed with you; but remember it is now your
duty to keep your soul in harmony with that of your husband."

"Soul!" cried Undine, laughing, "that sounds well, and your advice might be useful and
necessary for most people, but supposing one has no soul at all—what then, pray? And that
is the case with me."

Deeply wounded, the priest was turning away from her in righteous indignation, but she
came close to him and said appealingly: "Nay, father, hear me before you are cross with
me, for it would grieve me to have you so, and besides you should not be angry with a
creature who has never done you any harm. Only be patient with me and I will explain all."

She was evidently on the point of relating something, when suddenly some secret terror
seemed to seize her and she burst into tears, while her companions, not knowing what to
think, gazed at her in anxious silence. At length, drying her eyes and looking earnestly
at the priest, she went on: "It must be a beautiful and yet a terrible thing too, to have
a soul. I implore you, holy father, tell me, would it not be better to remain without
one?"

Undine paused as if waiting for his reply, keeping
back her tears and gazing at the priest with such a look of awe and apprehension that the
others started from their seats in alarm and shrank away from her. "Heavy must be a soul's
burden," she continued, as no one spoke; "heavy indeed, for its approaching shadow already
fills me with grief and terror; and alas! I was wont to be so happy and light-hearted!"
She again burst into tears and buried her face in her hands.

At this the priest approached and adjured her solemnly to confess all. She fell on her
knees before him, repeating after him all the pious words he spoke; and praising God, she
declared herself at peace with the world. At last he turned to the knight. "Sir
bridegroom," he said, "I leave you alone with her whom I have given to you. I can find no
evil in her, but much that is strange and mysterious. I charge you to be prudent, loving,
and faithful." So saying, he left the room, and the old people followed him, crossing
themselves.

Undine was still kneeling, but she uncovered her face and said, glancing timidly at
Huldbrand: "Alas! you will have nothing more to do with me now; and yet I have done
nothing bad. I am only a poor child." She looked so sweet and piteous, as
she spoke, that her husband quite forgot all his mystification, and hastening to her
clasped her to his heart. Undine smiled through her tears (it was like the glow of sunrise
reflected on a sparkling brook), and stroked the knight's cheek with her soft hand,
whispering gently, "You cannot leave me, beloved!"

Huldbrand resolutely shook off the dark thoughts that still lingered in his mind, and the
suspicion that he had married some sprite or creature from the spirit world, but he could
not refrain from asking one question:

"Only tell me, dear little Undine, what it was you were saying about earth-spirits and
Kuhleborn when the priest knocked at the door."

"Oh, that was only a child's foolish story," she replied, laughing. "First, I frightened
you, and then you frightened me. And that is the end of the romance of our wedding-day!"

Nay, not so!" said the enamoured knight. Extinguishing the candles, he clasped his lovely
bride in his arms and covered her with kisses in the bright moonlight which now poured in
through the window.